Prickly and Blooming

Prickly and Blooming

By Jessie BrowningSociety & CulturePersonal Journals
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Prickly and Blooming episodes

  • Hustling for Worthiness | Melanie Hersch

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Melanie Hersch talks to host Jessie Browning about starting her business working with single people who struggle with dating and relationships. She discusses four life-changing moments in her life from dropping out of college to seeing a spiritual counselor that directed her towards this career. Listen as she suggests why you should allow yourself to have a season and why you should invite your anxiety for coffee.

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [05:44] Meet Melanie Hersch
  • [07:00] Four life-changing moments
  • [16:48] Studying therapy
  • [20:11] A constant reminder
  • [23:41] "I am my source"
  • [29:05] Allowed yourself to have a season
  • [34:21] Love and compassion
  • [39:55] Hustling for worthiness
  • [41:38] Going out on her own
  • [48:42] Age range of her clients
  • [49:43] Jessie's rapid fire questions
  • [57:24] Contacting Melanie Hersch
  • [58:55] Outro

    • Resources Mentioned:

    • Prescott College
  • Brene Brown
  • Rachel Hollis

    • Standout Quotes:

    • "Rock bottom moments are kind of… they're so great. They suck in the moment and it's like the worst thing you can feel, but without them, we don't grow. I don't say we don't grow, it's a lot more challenging to grow without that push." -Melanie Hersch [16:24]
  • "For me, the best version is when you're being fully authentic. You're whole self. You're truly authentic whether that upsets people or not, and you're just standing in your own worth. Then whatever comes from there is, that's the golden nugget." -Melanie Hersch [28:38]
  • "Instead of trying to push the anxiety away, invite it to the table to have tea with you. Like bring it in. Like come on, let's have a cup of tea and let's talk about what's going on right now, little one, and really be able to work with it. That's the only way through it, you know." -Melanie Hersch [36:39]

    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website

    Learn more about Melanie Hersch:

    Melanie Hersch's Website

    Melanie Hersch on Instagram

    Melanie Hersch on Facebook

    1 hr 3 min
  • Secrets of Agriculture | Jess Peters

    Jess Peters took a look around while she was working on a dairy farm in New Zealand. She saw the nearby ocean and the mountains and thought to herself that it was the most beautiful place. Then she took a deep breath and thought that she was ready to go home.

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Jess talks to host Jessie Browning about working on the dairy farm in New Zealand before she returned to her family’s farm in Pennsylvania. She also shares why she started speaking openly about her mental health and how it has helped her and others in the agriculture industry. Listen as she describes her Secrets of Ag project that provides a safe space for people to release their secrets, frustrations and fears.

     

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [08:46] Meet Jess Peters
  • [11:12] Ready to go home
  • [17:02] Mental health in agriculture
  • [25:03] Processing mental health before social media
  • [32:15] What affects her mental health
  • [40:15] Working on her family's dairy farm
  • [44:36] What surprised her about sharing her mental health
  • [49:19] Secrets of Ag
  • [57:31] Jessie’s rapid fire questions
  • [1:08:57] Contacting Jess Peters
  • [1:10:56] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • Farm Nursery Songs by Jessica Peters
  • Jess Norman’s episode on Prickly and Blooming
  • Dear struggling farmer
  • Brené Brown
  • Rachel Hollis
  • PostSecret
  • Sin-eater
  • The Green Mile
  • The Mental Illness Happy Hour
  • What Should Danny Do? (The Power to Choose Series) by Adir Levy

    •  

    Standout Quotes:
    • “I’m kind of naive in thinking that if things that I know, everyone knows and they just decided it wasn’t good enough to write or type or put out there. And that’s not true. The truth is they’re either not brave enough to do it or they don’t have the words to do it, I think.” -Jess Peters [21:06]
  • “When it comes to mental health, if you can help one person, it is way more than worth it. ‘Cause that could have saved that person’s life.” -Jess Peters [24:41]
  • “I very much believe that you do it when you’re ready to do it. It’s almost like being an addict. You can’t get help until you’re ready to accept help.” -Jess Peters [47:29]
    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website 

     

    Learn more about Jess Peters:

    Jess Peters on Instagram

    Jess Peters on Twitter

    Jess Peters on TikTok

    Spruce Row Farm on Facebook

    Submit to Secrets of Ag
    1 hr 15 min
  • Secrets of Agriculture | Jess Peters

    Jess Peters took a look around while she was working on a dairy farm in New Zealand. She saw the nearby ocean and the mountains and thought to herself that it was the most beautiful place. Then she took a deep breath and thought that she was ready to go home.

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Jess talks to host Jessie Browning about working on the dairy farm in New Zealand before she returned to her family's farm in Pennsylvania. She also shares why she started speaking openly about her mental health and how it has helped her and others in the agriculture industry. Listen as she describes her Secrets of Ag project that provides a safe space for people to release their secrets, frustrations and fears.

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [08:46] Meet Jess Peters
  • [11:12] Ready to go home
  • [17:02] Mental health in agriculture
  • [25:03] Processing mental health before social media
  • [32:15] What affects her mental health
  • [40:15] Working on her family's dairy farm
  • [44:36] What surprised her about sharing her mental health
  • [49:19] Secrets of Ag
  • [57:31] Jessie's rapid fire questions
  • [1:08:57] Contacting Jess Peters
  • [1:10:56] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • Farm Nursery Songs by Jessica Peters
  • Jess Norman's episode on Prickly and Blooming
  • Dear struggling farmer
  • Brené Brown
  • Rachel Hollis
  • PostSecret
  • Sin-eater
  • The Green Mile
  • The Mental Illness Happy Hour
  • What Should Danny Do? (The Power to Choose Series) by Adir Levy

    • Standout Quotes:
    • "I'm kind of naive in thinking that if things that I know, everyone knows and they just decided it wasn't good enough to write or type or put out there. And that's not true. The truth is they're either not brave enough to do it or they don't have the words to do it, I think." -Jess Peters [21:06]
  • "When it comes to mental health, if you can help one person, it is way more than worth it. ‘Cause that could have saved that person's life." -Jess Peters [24:41]
  • "I very much believe that you do it when you're ready to do it. It's almost like being an addict. You can't get help until you're ready to accept help." -Jess Peters [47:29]
    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie...

    1 hr 15 min
  • Moving abroad to find her path | April Kling Meyer

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, April Kling Meyer talks to host Jessie Browning about her search for a new career path after her fabric shop closed in Austin. She initially thought she found her dream job working for another company, but she realized through therapy that she needed a change. April shares how her and her husband came to the decision to move abroad to Ireland and why she decided to study spiritual leadership.

     

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [05:31] Meet April Kling Meyer
  • [07:13] Owning a business to a dream job
  • [13:38] The big wake up call
  • [17:41] A potential middle ground
  • [21:29] “Let’s just live abroad”
  • [35:38] Spiritual leadership training
  • [39:03] Making it happen
  • [44:20] Job on hold due to COVID-19
  • [47:00] Finding her spiritual path
  • [56:20] Studying other religions
  • [58:29] The peace process
  • [1:00:09] Jessie’s rapid fire questions
  • [1:10:09] Contacting April Kling Meyer
  • [1:13:12] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • “Pay close attention…” meme
  • Brexit
  • Creative Alchemy
  • Tiny Fan Woodshop
  • Churches of Christ
  • Nadia Bolz-Weber
  • OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation
  • International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin
  • The Michelle Obama Podcast featuring her mom and brother
  • One River, Many Wells by Matthew Fox
  • The Luminous Web: Essays on Science and Religion by Barbara Brown Taylor

    •  

    Standout Quotes:
    • “And I would walk 500 more but I’m tired.” -April Kling Meyer [29:11]
  • “You know, COVID is one of those things where it’s horrible and everybody hates it, but everybody who found a silver lining found a pretty good silver lining, and that’s an enormous privilege. It’s an enormous blessing. It’s not something everybody had access to, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that privilege plays a huge role in being able to find silver linings in such a global headache.” -April Kling Meyer [45:04]
  • “If we could just understand our own indigenous cultures and the way that they involve creativity and their spirituality to the point where they are one in the same, if we can come to that understanding about our own spirituality, as well as the way that we express ourselves creatively, we’ll do a lot of good in the world. We’ll do a lot less harm. I truly believe that.” -April Kling Meyer [57:41]
    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website 

    Learn more about April Kling Meyer:

    April Kling Meyer’s Website

    April Kling Meyer’s Patreon

    Creativity is Spirituality on Facebook

    Creativity is Spirituality on Instagram

    April Kling Meyer on Instagram

    April Kling Meyer on LinkedIn

    1 hr 18 min
  • Moving abroad to find her path | April Kling Meyer

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, April Kling Meyer talks to host Jessie Browning about her search for a new career path after her fabric shop closed in Austin. She initially thought she found her dream job working for another company, but she realized through therapy that she needed a change. April shares how her and her husband came to the decision to move abroad to Ireland and why she decided to study spiritual leadership.

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [05:31] Meet April Kling Meyer
  • [07:13] Owning a business to a dream job
  • [13:38] The big wake up call
  • [17:41] A potential middle ground
  • [21:29] "Let's just live abroad"
  • [35:38] Spiritual leadership training
  • [39:03] Making it happen
  • [44:20] Job on hold due to COVID-19
  • [47:00] Finding her spiritual path
  • [56:20] Studying other religions
  • [58:29] The peace process
  • [1:00:09] Jessie's rapid fire questions
  • [1:10:09] Contacting April Kling Meyer
  • [1:13:12] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • "Pay close attention…" meme
  • Brexit
  • Creative Alchemy
  • Tiny Fan Woodshop
  • Churches of Christ
  • Nadia Bolz-Weber
  • OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation
  • International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin
  • The Michelle Obama Podcast featuring her mom and brother
  • One River, Many Wells by Matthew Fox
  • The Luminous Web: Essays on Science and Religion by Barbara Brown Taylor

    • Standout Quotes:
    • "And I would walk 500 more but I'm tired." -April Kling Meyer [29:11]
  • "You know, COVID is one of those things where it's horrible and everybody hates it, but everybody who found a silver lining found a pretty good silver lining, and that's an enormous privilege. It's an enormous blessing. It's not something everybody had access to, and we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that privilege plays a huge role in being able to find silver linings in such a global headache." -April Kling Meyer [45:04]
  • "If we could just understand our own indigenous cultures and the way that they involve creativity and their spirituality to the point where they are one in the same,...
    • 1 hr 18 min
  • Write it down, Mercer | Mercer Black

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, host Jessie Browning talks to her longtime friend, Mercer Black. Mercer is a writer who is known for sharing her life experiences dubbed as “Mercer stories.” She shares a few of these stories, what inspired her love of storytelling and what she is currently writing about.

     

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [08:41] How Jessie and Mercer became friends
  • [14:30] Mercer stories
  • [17:09] Why she tells stories
  • [24:09] Meeting Steve Guttenberg
  • [29:48] The Bambi effect
  • [32:41] Her parents
  • [37:38] Helping a man who was electrocuted
  • [43:15] Trying to find a rave
  • [51:55] Padre Island for Spring Break and other travel stories
  • [1:02:02] “Write it down, Mercer”
  • [1:08:58] Dad breaks her shoulder
  • [1:14:47] Jessie’s rapid fire questions
  • [1:25:33] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

     

    Standout Quotes:
    • “Having a good story comes down to having a poor lack of boundaries.” -Mercer Black [32:15]
  • “There’s just such a deeper knowing of you when you know people’s parents.” -Jessie Browning [33:23]
  • “Everyday I get to work on telling a story is a good day.” -Mercer Black [1:08:45]
    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website 

     

    Learn more about Mercer Black:

    Mercer Black’s Website

    1 hr 30 min
  • Write it down, Mercer | Mercer Black

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, host Jessie Browning talks to her longtime friend, Mercer Black. Mercer is a writer who is known for sharing her life experiences dubbed as "Mercer stories." She shares a few of these stories, what inspired her love of storytelling and what she is currently writing about.

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [08:41] How Jessie and Mercer became friends
  • [14:30] Mercer stories
  • [17:09] Why she tells stories
  • [24:09] Meeting Steve Guttenberg
  • [29:48] The Bambi effect
  • [32:41] Her parents
  • [37:38] Helping a man who was electrocuted
  • [43:15] Trying to find a rave
  • [51:55] Padre Island for Spring Break and other travel stories
  • [1:02:02] "Write it down, Mercer"
  • [1:08:58] Dad breaks her shoulder
  • [1:14:47] Jessie's rapid fire questions
  • [1:25:33] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

    Standout Quotes:
    • "Having a good story comes down to having a poor lack of boundaries." -Mercer Black [32:15]
  • "There's just such a deeper knowing of you when you know people's parents." -Jessie Browning [33:23]
  • "Everyday I get to work on telling a story is a good day." -Mercer Black [1:08:45]
    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website

    Learn more about Mercer Black:

    Mercer Black's Website

    1 hr 30 min
  • A Supercell of Personal Growth | Ellen Leonard

    Ellen Leonard was practicing yoga in an unused waiting room when she asked herself how did people manage to take care of their loved ones during a difficult situation. Even though she had health and medical resources available to her, she barely kept it together as her mom went through cancer.

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Ellen talks to host Jessie Browning about how she coped with her mom’s diagnosis and how that experience changed her approach on life. She also talks about her career as a health coach and Ayurvedic practitioner and her podcast, The Healthy, Happy, and mostly Sane Entrepreneur.

     
    Episode Timeline:
    • [00:03] Intro
  • [07:18] Meet Ellen Leonard
  • [10:26] Yoga in a hospital waiting room
  • [14:32] Mom’s cancer diagnosis
  • [21:01] The hardest part and the biggest gift
  • [24:49] Healthy boundaries
  • [30:30] Important to take care of yourself
  • [35:30] Embracing her grief
  • [38:30] Coping during COVID-19
  • [45:32] Celebrate your wins
  • [49:05] Negativity bias
  • [51:42] Surviving an apocalypse
  • [55:20] Lifetime in our house
  • [57:11] Ellen’s work
  • [57:35] Contacting Ellen Leonard
  • [57:41] Jessie’s rapid fire questions
  • [1:03:16] Outro
    •  
    Resources Mentioned:
    • Jessie Browning’s episode on Healthy, Happy, and mostly Sane Entrepreneur podcast
  • Schitt's Creek
  • New Girl
  • Negativity bias
  • The Walking Dead
  • Love Actually
    •  
    Standout Quotes:
    • “Everyone listening, you know, take what you do seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.” -Jessie Browning [10:09]
  • “You have to find these routines, these habits, self-care, health and wellness, all these things. They actually have to work for you and they have to work for you now.” -Ellen Leonard [44:32]
  • “So often we overlook our wins.” -Ellen Leonard [45:47]
    •  
    Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website 

     

    Learn more about Ellen Leonard:

    Ellen Leonard Website

    The Healthy, Happy, and mostly Sane Entrepreneur podcast

    Ellen Leonard on Instagram

    Ellen Leonard on Facebook

    Ellen Leonard on LinkedIn

    Ellen Leonard on Pinterest

    1 hr 8 min
  • A Supercell of Personal Growth | Ellen Leonard

    Ellen Leonard was practicing yoga in an unused waiting room when she asked herself how did people manage to take care of their loved ones during a difficult situation. Even though she had health and medical resources available to her, she barely kept it together as her mom went through cancer.

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Ellen talks to host Jessie Browning about how she coped with her mom's diagnosis and how that experience changed her approach on life. She also talks about her career as a health coach and Ayurvedic practitioner and her podcast, The Healthy, Happy, and mostly Sane Entrepreneur.

    Episode Timeline:
    • [00:03] Intro
  • [07:18] Meet Ellen Leonard
  • [10:26] Yoga in a hospital waiting room
  • [14:32] Mom's cancer diagnosis
  • [21:01] The hardest part and the biggest gift
  • [24:49] Healthy boundaries
  • [30:30] Important to take care of yourself
  • [35:30] Embracing her grief
  • [38:30] Coping during COVID-19
  • [45:32] Celebrate your wins
  • [49:05] Negativity bias
  • [51:42] Surviving an apocalypse
  • [55:20] Lifetime in our house
  • [57:11] Ellen's work
  • [57:35] Contacting Ellen Leonard
  • [57:41] Jessie's rapid fire questions
  • [1:03:16] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • Jessie Browning's episode on Healthy, Happy, and mostly Sane Entrepreneur podcast
  • Schitt's Creek
  • New Girl
  • Negativity bias
  • The Walking Dead
  • Love Actually
    • Standout Quotes:
    • "Everyone listening, you know, take what you do seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously." -Jessie Browning [10:09]
  • "You have to find these routines, these habits, self-care, health and wellness, all these things. They actually have to work for you and they have to work for you now." -Ellen Leonard [44:32]
  • "So often we overlook our wins." -Ellen Leonard [45:47]
    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website

    Learn more about Ellen Leonard:

    Ellen Leonard Website

    The Healthy, Happy, and mostly Sane Entrepreneur podcast

    Ellen Leonard on Instagram

    Ellen...

    1 hr 8 min
  • Mid-life Epiphanies | April Noelle Grant

    In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, host Jessie Browning talks to a fellow podcast host, April Noelle Grant.

    April talks about why she started her podcast, The Other Side of 40, that shares stories about women who did things after the age of 40. She also discusses how she coped with the loss of her second child and handles the misconceptions of being a stay at home mom. Listen to what book she uses to plan date nights with her husband.

    Episode Timeline:

    • [00:03] Intro
  • [04:06] Meet April Noelle Grant
  • [08:08] A mom during law school
  • [11:55] Having a son with hypoplastic heart syndrome
  • [17:20] A new job
  • [18:11] Depression after losing her son
  • [22:08] Getting married
  • [25:14] An occupational shift
  • [28:38] Having more children
  • [32:40] Shifting from the legal profession to a stay-at-home mom
  • [39:49] “I support your choice.”
  • [43:51] Feeling like a single mother
  • [51:51] The Other Side of 40
  • [55:06] Planning dates with her husband
  • [1:01:09] Couples therapy
  • [1:07:18] Launching The Other Side of 40 on her birthday
  • [1:07:55] Where to find The Other Side of 40
  • [1:08:21] Jessie’s rapid fire questions
  • [1:11:44] Outro
    • Resources Mentioned:
    • Ossa Collective
  • Hypoplastic heart syndrome
  • Breaking Bad
  • Mad Men
  • The Adventure Challenge: Couple’s Edition
    • Standout Quotes:
    • “There are people that make it their job to try to work every system they possibly can and if you’ve never come across one in the world, consider yourself lucky.” -Jessie Browning [28:14]
  • “I don’t think a lot of women understand how much you really have to be intentional with being a stay-at-home mom. It’s not something that you kind of do, and not to say there aren’t women who do it, but I would say the vast majority are very intentional when they’re home. They’re very intentional with their families, their kids, because they do know that every day’s the same. Every day is pretty much the same. The monotony of it all and trying to make it something and make it memorable and not have that monotony fall onto the kids.” -April Noelle Grant [35:34]
  • “So part of the reason I started it as well is to create this community, because what I’ve realized is making massive, sweeping changes is really hard when you have no support.” -April Noelle Grant [53:38]
    • Connect:

    Connect with Lajoie Society:

    Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

    Lajoie Society on Instagram

    Lajoie Society on Facebook

    Lajoie Society on Twitter

    Lajoie Society Website 

     

    Learn more about April Noelle Grant:

    The Other Side of 40 Website

    The Other Side of 40 Podcast

    The Other Side of 40 on Instagram

    The Other Side of 40 on Facebook

    The Other Side of 40 Facebook Group

    The Other Side of 40 on Twitter

    1 hr 16 min

About Prickly and Blooming

From the publisher's feed

Jessie has lived in Texas for 20 years now (half her life) and still ponders "what makes a Texan?" Prickly and Blooming is a weekly conversational podcast hosted by Jessie Browning *now focused* on…